Spend my £500 - Monopod & head

[Blackbird]

Looking for the best monopod and ball head for that money.

Largest lenses used will be the 100-400L and later in the year 70-200 2.8 ii and obviously smaller lenses.

Main usage, slower moving sports surfing, running etc and wildlife that I find on my wanderings around the coast path.



Priorities are

1. Stability ...............I know get a tripod :)
2. Fluid quality head
3. Compactness
4. Weight
5. nothing to short I'm 6'2" lol

in that order

I live at the very end of the world and have no camera shops to speak of to make any comparison tests

Any thoughts appreciated

[hollis_f]

Well, you can get a top-notch Gitzo monopod for around £200. The GM5541 is the canine's gonads for £220.

Not sure why a ball head is required. If I had £280 to spend on a monopod head then I'd get a RRS Monopod head from the US - total cost including shipping and taxes will be around £200. It's a simple, but strong, tilt head - rotational movement is done by rotating the monopod.

[mho]

Another vote for the same kit from me, the Gitzo GM5541 is outstanding.

[the ghost]

RRS monopod head pic of it here (http://reallyrightstuff.com/tripods/04.html) but scroll down to the bottom of page if your 6'2"

Try it with the Wimberley Head now tha be nice

[malla1962]

Try it without a head, I have tried heads on my mono and hated it, now I just use a RRS QR clamp and find it a lot better.

[Blackbird]

Thanks all for the input, I've already had my eye on the Gitzo GM5541 I'll investigate the head issue further

[hollis_f]

Try it without a head, I have tried heads on my mono and hated it, now I just use a RRS QR clamp and find it a lot better.

Yes, I'm currently headless, just an arca-swiss plate, on my monopod. Hate using a ballhead with a big lens, tried the manfrotto tilt head and it would droop with my 300 f2.8 - so I'm trying to persuade myself that the RRS head would be a good idea.

[Richard Peters]

Well, you can get a top-notch Gitzo monopod for around £200. The GM5541 is the canine's gonads for £220.

Not sure why a ball head is required. If I had £280 to spend on a monopod head then I'd get a RRS Monopod head from the US - total cost including shipping and taxes will be around £200. It's a simple, but strong, tilt head - rotational movement is done by rotating the monopod.
Agreed, one of the big boy Gitzos, I have the GM 5531 I think...not sure I never used it!

I also agree a ballhead for monopod is a bad idea, the RRS monopod head is a much better solution :thumbs: